We propose a novel dynamic traffic signal coordination method that takes account of the special traffic flow characteristics of urban arterial roads. The core of this method includes a control area division module and a signal coordination control module. Firstly, we analyze and model the influences of segment distance, traffic flow density, and signal cycle time on the correlation degree between two neighboring intersections. Then, we propose a fuzzy computing method to estimate the correlation degree based on a hierarchical structure and a method to divide the control area of urban arterial roads into subareas based on correlation degrees. Subarea coordination control arithmetic is used to calculate the public cycle time of the control subarea, up-run offset and down-run offset of the section, and the split of each intersection. An application of the method in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, China shows that the method can reduce the average travel time and the average stop rate effectively.
